Ticket issuing machine for race course totalisators or the like



FOR RACE COURSE THE LIKE R. E. WEL NG MACHINE ISATORS OR Jan. 9, 1968 TICKET ISSUI TOTAL Filed Sept. 23, 1963 5 Sheets-Sheet l AwWW 3 mm 4 mw 5 FIG-.3

Jan. 9, 1968' R. E. WELLS TICKET ISSUING MACHINE FOR RACE COURSE TOTALISATORS OR THE LIKE 5 Sheets-Shqet 2 Filed Sept 23, 1963 Jan. 9, 1968 R. WELLS 3,362,324

' TICKET ISSUING MACHINE FOR RACE COURSE TOTALISATORS OR THE LIKE Filed Sept. 25, 1963 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Jan. 9, 1968 Filed Sept. 25

R. E. WELLS 3,362,324 TICKET ISSUING MACHINE FOR RACE COURSE TOTALISATORS OR THE LIKE 1963 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Jan, 9, 1968 R. E. WELLS TICKET ISSUING MACHINE FOR RACE COURSE TOTALISATORS OR THE LIKE 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Sept. 23, 1965 mummmuu IIIIIII FIGH United States Patent 3,362,324 TICKET ISSUING MACHINE FOR RACE COURSE TOTALISATORS OR THE LIKE Roy Ernest Wells, Lidcombe, New South Wales, Australia,

assignor to Electra Totalisators Pty. Limited, Lidcombe,

New South Wales, Australia Filed Sept. 23, 1963, Ser. No. 310,781 5 Claims. (Cl. 101-68) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A ticket printing and issuing machine for providing a printed record to be supplied to the customer of his betting transactions with a totalisator system, said machine comprising a pair of manually operable selector levers each having a plurality of different selectable positions, the positions of one lever being indicative of contestants numbers and the positions of the other lever being indicative of the type of wager on selected contestants, a printing mechanism including two groups of printing surfaces movable with respect to a printing position, a ticket issuing position, a paper roll, paper therefrom extending past said printing position to said ticket issuing position, a printing pad movable to effect printing upon said paper, a connection between each selector lever and respective ones of said groups of printing surfaces to effect movement of said surfaces in response to movement of said selector levers so that information printed on said paper corresponds with the information selected by said levers, electrical contacts individual to each separate position of each of said selector levers, means for marking respective ones of said contacts whenever one of said selector levers is moved to a selected position, means for relaying signals from said machine to remote equipment, a manually operable printing lever, a switch closed upon operation of said printing lever to connect the marked contacts to said signal relaying means, a connection between said printing lever and said printing pad to effect priting upon said paper in response to operating movement of said printing lever, means responsive to return movement of said printing lever to advance said paper from said printing position towards said ticket issuing position, means coupled to said printing lever blocking movement in the return direction when the printing lever has once started movement in the printing direction and blocking movement in the return direction when the printing lever has been fully moved to the printing position, said machine having a cover plate with slots therein in which said selector levers move, locking members slidable along the selector levers and wedging between the edge of the slots and the selector levers for locking the selector levers in position, a locking member moving means engaged with the ends of the locking members remote from the ends projecting through the cover plate and having a projection thereon, a projection on said printing lever engaging the projection on said locking member moving means for moving the locking member moving means when the printing lever is moved toward the printing position for moving the locking members into locking position, a manually operable ejector lever, a guillotine for cutting off printed betting tickets from the end of the paper, and a connection between said ejector lever and said guillotine for supplying a betting ticket when desired by the operator.

This invention relates to improvements in ticket printing and issuing machines, and more particularly to those machines which are used to register betting transactions and to relay particulars of same to a central totalisator installation adapted to calculate progressively the odds, and display other relevant information to members of the public attending a race meeting or like function.

In totalisator installations of this type a multiplicity of ticket printing machines is used, each operated by a betting clerk who receives bets or wagers from members of the public and feeds the information into the machine. The details of the Wager are printed by the machine onto a paper ticket which is then given to the customer. After the race or like event has been contested, money is paid out on the winning wagers solely on the information given on each winning ticket which constitutes the sole record of the respective transaction.

It is important, therefore, that a high degree of accuracy be maintained in printing correct information on each ticket. Furthermore, as each transaction is automatically transmitted to the central totalisator computer, any incorrect signals would confuse the calculation of odds, etc., during the betting proceedings. Each machine must, therefore, have built in, automatic, foolproof interlocking devices to safeguard against movement of its controls in any incorrect sequence.

Previous machines of this nature have employed highly complicated mechanisms, usually powered by electrical motors, and utilizing electric equipment and have proved costly to manufacture and unreliable in operation.

It is the principal object of the present invention, therefore, to provide a ticket printing and issuing machine which employs only relatively simple mechanical linkage mechanisms to perform its functions.

It is a further object to provide positive mechanical interlocking between the several control levers of each machine to obviate, as far as possible, incorrect manipulation by its operator.

It is a further object to provide functional safeguards during the printing of tickets which will help to prevent alteration of the information printed thereon by forgery, etc.

The invention, therefore, provides a ticket printing and issuing machine for providing a printed record of such transactions as totalisator wagers and the like, said machine comprising a printing mechanism having printing surfaces movable with respect to a printing position, a ticket issuing position, a roll of paper, said paper passing from the roll past said printing position and to said ticket issuing position, a printing pad to bring the paper into contact with a printing surface at said printing position, at least one selector lever manually movable between a plurality of positions to select information as to a wager, such as the contestant number, which it is desired be recorded, means responsive to movement of said selector lever to move one of said printing surfaces to said printing position, a manually operable printing lever, means responsive to operating movement of said printing lever to bring said paper at said printing position into contact with said printing surfaces, means responsive to return movement of said printing lever to advance said paper from said printing position towards said ticket issuing position, and an ejector lever manually operable to cut off a portion of the paper containing a printed record of a customers wagers to form a betting ticket on which pay out in respect of winning bets may be made.

A preferred form of the invention will now be described With reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a machine console constructed according to the invention and showing the selector levers, printing and ejector levers and ticket issuing aperture thereof; 7

FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of a selector lever with its finger grip cut away and a fragment of its quadrant, and showing its locking bar in the locked position;

FIG. 3 is a representation of a typical betting ticket with horses or the like referred to by numbers thereon, and showing in this case thirteen actual betting transactions;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the machine with the front and one side cut away. The selector and printing levers only are shown; the ticket ejector lever and its associated mechanisms has been omitted for clarity. In the position shown, the printing lever is locked by an outside monitoring device, the selector levers being, however, free to be moved;

FIG. 5 is a side elevation in section through the printing lever fulcrum, showing the position of said lever after being released by the outside monitor and pushed downwardly to the lowest limit of its travel to register a bet;

FIG. 6 is a similar view of the printing lever showing the position it assumes when the operator removes his hand from it; in which position it is thereupon locked until the central control acknowledges receipt of the bet;

FIG. 7 shows the printing lever returned to its original position as in FIG. 4 by a signal from the central control; the lever is however now in the released condition in contrast to that shown in FIG. 4;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevation in vertical section through the front of the machine showing a selector lever and its quadrant with electrical connections and contact brushes; the lever locking bar is shown in the unlocked position;

FIG. 9 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevation in vertical section through the centre of the machine showing the ticket ejector lever and printing drum only; the linkage, etc., associated with the printing lever and said printing lever itself have been omitted for clarity. The ejector lever is shown in the locked position;

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary view of the fulcrum of the ejector lever only showing it in the unlocked but unactuated. position; and

FIG. 11 is a similar view to FIG. 9, but showing the ejector lever actuated to the lowermost limit of its travel and illustrating the manner in which the said lever will return to its locked position when released by the operator.

The mechanism shown in the drawings is supported between vertical parallel side plates 12 and 13 secured together by a number of spacer rods as at 14. A main fulcrum shaft 15 is secured to each side plate 13 and 14 medially between their ends 16 and 17 and spaced a short distance above their lower edges 18. The shaft 15 serves as a fulcrum for all four operating levers used to control the mechanism, namely two selector levers 19 and 20, the printing lever 21 and ticket ejector lever 22.

The two selector levers 19 and are pivoted at their lower ends 23 to the shaft 15 and are spaced apart by spacing bushes 24 loosely mounted on the shaft. T oothed segmental quadrant plates 25 are rigidly secured to the pivoted root ends 23- of each lever 19 and 20 and extend towards the rear end 17 of the machine.

Two cylindrical printing drums 26 and 27 are rotatably mounted on a shaft 28 secured between the side plates 12 and 13 above, behind and parallel to the shaft 15. Half of the circumferential surface 29 of each drum 26 and 27 is embossed with a series of numbers such as the numerals one to six, and the word test. The drum 27 has also the words win and place embossed thereon. The other half of each drum surface is provided with gear teeth 30 which are engaged by the toothed quadrants 25 so that displacement of the levers 19 and 20 causes corresponding displacement of the drums 26 and 27.

The front ends 16 of each machine side plate 12 and 13 are radiused at 31 about the centre line of the shaft 15 and the free ends of all levers project a short distance beyond the radiused surface 31.

Three quadrant indicia plates 32, 33 and 34 (see FIG. 1) are mounted in the front radiused end 31 of the machine in the following manner. Each indicia plate is of T section comprising an outer metal band 35 (see FIG.

8) and a radial web of electrically insulating material 36. Grooved supporting rods 37 (see FIGS. 4 and 8) extend between the machine side plates 12 and 13 at each end of the radiused portions 31. Angled slots 38 are provided in each end of the webs 36 which engage grooves 39 in the rods 37 to hold the indicia plates in the front end of the machine in removable fashion.

A series of contacts 40 are radially spaced along the sides of the webs 36 and bridging contact brushes 41 are mounted on each selector lever 19 and 20 so that they can be brought into contact with any group of contacts 40 by displacement of the levers.

One side of each indicia band 35 is formed with radiused serrations 42 (see FIGS. 2 and 8) whilst the other side 43 is a plain surface. semicircular abutments 44 (see FIGS. 2 and 8) are formed at the side of each selector lever 19 and 20 so that they engage the serrations 42 in the bands 35. The space between the serrations 42 and the adjacent plain edge 43 is suflicient to allow the levers 19 and 20 to be moved sideways to clear said serrations so that said levers can be moved from one serration 42 to another.

As can be seen in FIG. 1 a word or numeral appears alongside each serration 42. The lever 19 is shown opposite a serration marked 1 whilst the lever 20 is opposite the word win. The drum 26 which is controlled by lever 19 will be positioned with an embossed numeral 1" at a printing point 45 (see FIGS. 9 and 11) whilst the other drum 27 will present an embossed word win at the point 45.

An inked ribbon 46 supported on reels 47 is extended over each drum embossed surface 29 and a strip of paper 48 is also extended over the drum surface in contact with the outer surface of the inked ribbon. Both ribbon and paper are maintained in alignment by a guide tube 49.

A printing pad 50 (see FIGS 4, 9 and 11) is mounted on the ends of arms 51 which are rotatably mounted on a rod 52 extending between the machine side plates 12 and 13. The pad 59 is normally held away from the drums 26 and 27 by a Spring 53. The pad can however be swung forwardly so that it strikes the paper, ribbon and drums at the printing point 45. This results in a printed impression being transferred to the paper 48. The means for causing this printing action will be described later.

Whenever a combination of numerals, etc., is printed on the ticket paper 48 a corresponding signal must be transmitted to the central odds calculating computer. Downward displacement of the printing lever 21 is used to carry out both of these functions.

The printing lever 21 extends out through a slot 54 (see FIG. 1) formed in the plain surface of the indicia plate 32 and an adjacent cover plate 55. The inner end of the lever 21 is enlarged into a circular disc 56 and is rotatably mounted thereat on the shaft 15.

There are circumstances in which the operator must be prevented from moving the printing lever 21. For example if the selector levers 19 or 20 are moved to a serration 32 which corresponds to a horse or the like that has been scratched, no ticket must be printed or signal transmitted. Also all betting must cease upon the start of a race and means must be provided to lock the printing levers of all machines at this moment.

This function is accomplished as follows. A radial stop 57 (FIGS. 4, 5, 6 and 7) is cut in the face of the disc 56, and a locking lever 53 pivotally secured to the plate 12 at 59 is provided with an abutment 60 which engages the stop 57 on disc 56 to lock the lever 21 in the neutral position as shown in FIGS. 1, 4, and 7. A spring 61 (see FIG. 4) normally holds the lever 58 in this position.

The lower end of the lever 58 is pivotally connected to the armature of a solenoid 62 which is known as the betting line solenoid. The solenoid 62 is energized from the central control when it is permissible to move the lever 21 in which case the abutment 60 is drawn clear of stop 57 on said lever. The solenoid circuit is also opened whenever one or both selector levers 19 and 20 is positioned opposite a scratched horse.

The lever 21 is also provided with a quadrant plate 63 at its root end adjacent the disc 56. A stub arm 64 extends from said quadrant plate and one end 65 of a link bar 66 is pivotally secured thereat. The link bar 66 extends to the rear end 17 of the machine where it is pivotally connected to a bell crank 67 on a transverse shaft 68 rotatably mounted between the side plates 12 and 13. A striking yoke 69 also secured to the shaft 68 extends downwardly therefrom behinde the printing pad arms 51 and contacts their rear edges.

Downward movement of the printing lever 21 will thus cause the arms 51 and pad 50 to be drawn forward into contact with the drums 26 and 27 to print the ticket paper. It will be noticed that the arms 51 and pad 50 can be moved forwardly without movement of the yoke 69 or printing lever. The reason for this will become apparent later.

Switches 70 are secured to the side 12 of the machine below the lever 21 and a pin 71, secured to said lever contacts and closes said switches when the lever is pushed right down as shown in FIG. 5. The closing of said switches causes current to flow through the brushes 41 on selector levers 19 and 20, to a selected group of contacts 40 and to central control via a multi-core cable 72 (see FIG. 1). Any suitable electrical connection between the contacts 40 and the switches 70 may be made for the purpose of signalling the information of wagers from the machine to the remote control. In one form (not shown) however, the contacts 40 are arranged in a double pair, each pair being bridged by a different one of the brushes 41, the two pairs being connected in shunt and to respective contacts of relays the other side of which relay contacts are connected to the cable 72. The switches 70 each have contacts which are multipled for security of operation and are connected to the operating windings of the relays. The security of proper indication of the selected contestant, or other condition provided by the selector levers, is thus doubly assured by the multipling of both the switches and the contacts 40. It will be seen, therefore, that signalling of the selected contestant and other information will be effected upon energization of the relays and these will lock on until released by a return signal from the control when recording of the wager has been effected. The two switches 70 are so arranged that they close at different times which feature may be desired for operation in proper sequence of the relays.

It is important that each downward movement of the printing lever 21 must be carried out properly. For example the lever must be pressed right down or the switches 70 will not be closed and no record of the bet will reach central control. Also the lever must be moved once only for each bet. The following mechanism ensures that these conditions are rigidly adhered to.

Two pawls 73 and 74 (see particularly FIGS. 5 to 7) are rotatably mounted on a fulcrum pin 75 secured to side plate 12 adjacent the quadrant plate 63 which is secured to the printing lever 21. The pawl 73 faces towards the front 16 of the machine and the pawl 74 towards the rear 17. Two sets of ratchet teeth 76 and 77 are cut in the periphery of the quadrant plate 63. One set of teeth 76 can be engaged by pawl 73 and the other 77 by pawl 74. A three pronged spring anchorage lever 78 is also pivoted on the pin 75 behind the pawls 73 and 74. Two torsion springs 79 and 81 are anchored to a prong 81 of the anchorage 78. The free end of the spring 79 is secured to the pawl 74 and the spring 80 is similarly connected to pawl 73. The said springs urge the pawls towards the ratchet teeth 77 and 76, respectively.

A second elongated prong 82 of the anchorage 78 extends down behind the quadrant 63 between two pins 83A and B attached to said quadrant 63; and a third torsion 6 spring 84 is attached to the plate 12 at 85 and to a third prong 86 of the anchorage 78.

The spring 84 urges the prong 82 against pin 83B when the lever 21 is in the raised or neutral position as shown in FIGS. 4 and 7. In this case the pawl 73 is in contact with the first tooth of rack 76. As the lever 21 is pushed down the pawl 73 rides over rack 76 one tooth at a time. The lever 21, once downward movement is commenced, cannot be raised because such movement is prevented by pawl 73.

As the lever 21 moves down, however, the pin 83B swings the anchorage 78 about its fulcrum 75 until prong 86 passes above a line joining the anchors 85 and 75. As soon as this occurs the spring 84 will snap the anchorage 78 over so that its prong 82 will now contact the other pin 83A. A pin 30 secured to the anchorage 78 below pawl 73 contacts said pawl 73 and raises it clear of the rack 76. At the same time the other pawl 74 is brought into contact with the initial tooth of the other rack 77. This position is clearly shown in FIG. 5. The swinging across of the anchorage 78 and change over of pawls is timed to occur just after the pin 71 closes the switch 70. It is therefore, impossible to perform an incomplete downward movement of lever 21 and operation of the switch 78 will always be effected.

When the operator removes his hand from lever 21 a return spring 91 will start to draw the lever 21 back to its raised neutral position. The lever is allowed to rise until pawl 74 clicks over one tooth only of rack 77. At this point an abutment 92 on the end of a second locking lever 93 contacts a pin 94 on the lever 21. The lever 93 is pivotally secured to the machine side plate 12 on a fulcrum pin 95 and is normally urged into contact with pin 94 by a spring 96 (see FIG. 4). Further upward return movement of the printing lever 21 is thus prevented. The pawl 74 engaging the second tooth of rack 77 prevents any downward movement of the lever 21. The lever is thus locked rigidly in the position shown in FIG. 6 with the pin 71 clear of the switches 70.

The lower end 97 of the locking lever 93 is pivotally secured to the armature of a second solenoid 98 which is energized from the main control when the computer thereat has received and digested the information transmitted to it when switches 71 were closed by the downward movement of the lever 21. When said solenoid 98 is energized the locking lever abutment 92 is withdrawn from pin 94 so that the lever 21 will spring up to its original neutral position as shown in FIGS. 4 and 7.

It is thus impossible to transmit more than one signal to the computer for each betting transaction. Furthermore, the riding of the pawl 74 over teeth 77 ensures that the printing lever 21 must move right up to the neutral raised position at which point the pin 83A on the quadrant 63 moves the prong 82 rearwardly until the spring 84 snaps the anchorage 78 back to its original position as in FIGS. 4 and 7. A second pin 90 also secured to the anchorage 78 below pawl 74 now contacts said pawl and raises it clear of the teeth 77. At the same time the pawl 73 is brought down to contact teeth 76.

It will be obvious that some provision must be made to prevent accidental displacement of the selector levers 19 and 20 after the printing lever is moved down. The following locking mechanism is provided against this contingency.

A third pin 1% (FIGS. 4 to 7) secured to the lever 21 is adapted to contact and displace a radial arm 101 mounted on a cross shaft 102 rotatably mounted between the plates 12 and 13. The shaft 102 is located below and in front of the main fulcrum shaft 15 and two arcuate ramp levers 163 also extend radially from said shaft 102 to positions about the root ends 23 of the selector levers 19 and 20 and a spring 104 normally urges the ramps 103 closely towards said shaft 15.

Longitudinally displaceable locking bars 105 (see FIGS. 4 to 8) are mounted in guides 106 along the length of 7 each selector lever 19 and 2t), and the lower end 1117 of each bar 105 is bent at right angles to form a foot which rides upon the curved surface of each ramp 103.

Now as the printing lever is pushed down the ramps 103 raise the locking bars 1115 on each selector lever 19 and 2d. The upper ends 1118 (see also FIG. 2) of the bars 195 are radiused so that they can force their way between the plain edge 43 of the indicia plates 32 and 33 and the sides of the said selector levers 19 and 21). This forces the abutment 44 on each lever hard into a serration 42 to lock the lever 19 or 20 securely against movement. The levers 19 and 2% will not be released until the printing lever returns to its neutral raised position as shown in FIG. 7.

An examination of FIG. 8 will show that the end 1% of each locking bar 165 is positioned closely below the underside of the indicia plate 32 or 33 in the retracted and unlocked position. Thus unless both selector levers are correctly positioned in a serration 4-2, the bars 119.5 cannot be raised without striking the underside of said indicia plate. Lever 21 will be positively prevented in this case from being pushed downwardly before the pawl 7'4 can reach the second tooth of rack 77. This latter feature ensures that both selector levers must be accurately located in the desired location before the printing lever 21 can be operated.

The final operating element on the machine is the ejector lever 22. This lever 22 is operated to eject a printed paper ticket 48 from the machine after betting transac tions for one customer have been completed. The ejector lever 22 is rotatably mounted alongside the printing lever 21, on the shaft 15, but is only shown in FIGS. 1, 9, and 11; having been omitted entirely from FIGS. 4, 5, 6 and 7 for clarity in depicting the printing lever mechanism just described. In FIG. 1 it can be seen that the ejector lever 22 works in a slot 1119 in line and about the slot 54 accommodating the printing lever 21. The neutral position of the lever 22 is at the top of the slot 109 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 9.

When the ejector lever 22 is pulled down it actuates rack and pawl mechanism and a guillotine to eject and cut off a printed ticket 48 from an aperture 110 on top of the machine. This latter mechanism is not shown in the drawings and will not be described in detail as it is of well known form.

The ejector lever 22 must not be operated unless the selector and printing levers have first been actuated to print and register a bet. The lever 22 is therefore normally locked in the raised position in the following manner. The root end of the ejector lever 22 is enlarged into a disc 111 similar to the disc 56. A radial stop 112 is cut into the periphery of the disc 111 and a locking lever 114 is pivotally secured to the plate 12 at 113 alongside the disc 111 so that it can swing behind it. The lever 114 is provided with a right angle projecting lug 115 which normally engages the stop 112 on disc 111 with the lever 114 behind said disc 111 and retained there by a spring 116 as shown in FIG. 9.

The printing lever 21 has a striking bar 117 which is shown in full in FIGS. 4, 5, 6 and 7 but in phantom outline in FIGS. 9, 10 and 11. The said bar 117 extends over into contact with the side of the lever 114. When the printing lever 21 is pulled down therefore, the bar 117 pushes the lever 114 away from the shaft so that the lug .115 is pushed clear of the stop 112.

A sear plate 118, pivotally secured to the plate 12 at 119 extends over the top of the locking lever 114 and is spring loaded downwardly by a spring 120. When the lever 114 is pushed right over by the bar 117 an upwardly projecting lug 121 on top of the lever 114 enters a recess 122 on the underside of lever 118 so that said lever drops down a short distance to lock the lever 114 in the unlocked position as shown in FIG. 10.

The ejector lever 22 is now free to be pulled down to eject and cut off a ticket 48. As the lever 22 is pulled down a pin 123 on the disc 111 engages the underside of sear plate 118, raising it so that the lug 121 on lever 114 is released from the recess 122. The lever 114 will now swing back until its projecting lug connects the circumference of the disc 111 as shown in FIG. 11. When the ejector lever 22 is allowed to return to its neutral position the lug 115 will engage the stop 112 once more thus securely locking the ejector lever 22 in the neutral position as shown in FIG. 9.

This mechanism just described ensures that the ejector lever 22 cannot be actuated to eject a ticket 48 unless the selector levers 19 and 2t) and the printing lever 21 have first been actuated to print a betting transaction on said ticket. Forward movement of the printing lever 21 is used to move the paper 48 a short distance, about 7 over the drums 26 and 27 before each transaction. A ticket 48 as shown in FIG. 3 can have a number of transactions shown upon it. In the example shown bets recorded on the ticket have been preceded by a security signature 138 of a double horizontal arrow and code identification number, 20 in this case. The bets placed in their order of receipt may be read otf from right to left which shows firstly horse numbered 1 as coupled in a doubles Wager with five different contestants, horse 2 coupled in a double with horse 3, horses 3, 4 and 1 wagered for a win and horses 3, 4, 5 and 6 wagered for a place.

Upon depression of the ejector lever 22 its first function is to rotate a paper feeding roller (not shown) so as to advance the paper approximately 2". The guillotine (not shown) is conveniently positioned near the underside of ticket aperture 111} and is expediently operated by the lever 22 to cut off a betting ticket. The guillotine will normally be spaced above 1" from the printing point 45 so that each ticket will have approximately a 1" space from each end to the nearest printed wager.

Should the betting line relay 62 be de-energized to stop all bets in the midst of a betting transaction the ejector lever 22 can still be operated once only to allow the customer to be given his ticket 48 with the bets placed previously thereon. The security signature 138 is stamped on the ticket to safeguard against pay out on a false ticket or one issued on a different race. It is applied by mech anism which will now be described.

A radial anvil lever 125 (FIGS. 4, 9 and 11) is pivotally mounted on the shaft 28 in the space between the printing drums 26 and 27. A radial pin 126 secured to the anvil 125 extends down between two stops 127 and 128 secured to the side plate 12. A spring 129 normally urges the pin 126 against the stop 127 so that the anvil is in the position shown in FIG. 9 with the upper portion 130 of said anvil in line with the printing position 45. An embossed arrow 131 on this portion 130 of the arrow is printed on the ticket 48 between each row of numbers as shown in FIG. 3. A link 132 extends betwen the ejector lever 22 and a yoke 133 supported on the shaft 52 (see FIGS. 9 and 11). The yoke 133 contacts the backs of the arms 51 supporting the printing pad 50. When the lever 22 is moved, the yoke 133 will swing the printing pad towards the drums 26 and 27.

An upright post 134 extends from the link 132 and the upper end of said post 134 is connected through a spring 135 to a second radial pin 136 extending from the anvil 125. Movement of the lever 22 and link 132 will thus move the anvil 125 upwardly until the pin 126 strikes stop 128. This will bring a raised portion 137 of the anvil 125 into the printing position 45. This portion 137 of the anvil 125 has a double arrow and code number 138 em bossed on it which will be printed on the ticket 48 in the space at the start thereon as shown in FIG. 3.

Removable cover plates 139 are fitted over the side plates 12 and 13 and the top and ends of the machine as shown in FIG. 1 to provide a smooth unbroken surface of attractive appearance.

I claim:

1. A ticket printing and issuing machine for providing a printed record to be supplied to the customer of his betting transactions with a totalisator system, said machine comprising a pair of manually operable selector levers each having a plurality of different selectable positions, the positions of one lever being indicative of contestants numbers and the positions of the other lever being indicative of the type of wager on selected contestants, a printing mechanism including two groups of printing surfaces movable with respect to a printing posi-- tion, a ticket issuing position, a paper roll, paper therefrom extending past said printing position to said ticket issuing position, a printing pad movable to effect printing upon said paper, a connection between each selector lever and respective ones of said groups of printing surfaces to effect movementof said surfaces in response to movement of said selector levers so that information printed on said paper corresponds with the information selected by said levers, electrical contacts individual to each separate position of each of said selector levers, means for marking respective ones of said contacts whenever one of said selector levers is moved to a selected position, means for relaying signals from said machine to remote equipment, a manually operable printing lever, a switch closed upon operation of said printing lever to connect the marked contacts to said signal relaying means, a connection between said printing lever and said printing pad to effect printing upon said paper in response to operating movement of said printing lever, means responsive to return movement of said printing lever to advance said paper from said printing position towards said ticket issuing position, means coupled to said printing lever blocking movement in the return direction when the printing lever has once started movement in the printing direction and blocking movement in the return direction when the printing lever has been fully moved to the printing position, said machine having a cover plate with slots therein in which said selector levers move, locking members slidable along the selector levers and wedging between the edge of the slots and the selector levers for locking the selector levers in position, a locking member moving means engaged with the ends of the locking members remote from the ends projecting through the cover plate and having a projection thereon, a projection on said printing lever engaging the projection on said locking member moving means for moving the locking member moving means when the printing lever is moved toward the printing position for moving the locking members into locking position, a manually operable ejector lever, a guillotine for cutting off printed betting tickets from the end of the paper, and a connection between said ejector lever and said guillotine for supplying a betting ticket when desired by the operator.

2. A ticket printing and issuing machine according to claim 1, comprising a latch unit engageable to lock said printing lever in an unoperated position to prevent the recording of any transactions, and an electrical solenoid operable remotely to disengage said latch unit and thus unlock said printing lever to permit the recording of transactions.

3. A ticket printing and issuing machine according to claim 1, comprising a holding unit engageable with said printing lever to hold it in an off-normal condition so that it becomes locked and thus inoperable to record further transactions, and an electromagnet operable by an electric signal to disengage said holding unit and permit recording of transactions to continue.

4. A ticket printing and issuing machine as claimed in claim 1 in which said slots in said cover plate have one edge which is serrated, said locking members being engageable between the other edge of each slot and the selector levers for wedging the selector levers into said serrations, the end of each locking member being wider than the clearance between the edges of the slot and the selector levers when the selector levers are between serrations, whereby if the selector lever is not correctly positioned opposite a serration the locking member cannot wedge into the slot in the cover plate and the printing lever cannot be moved to the printing position.

5. A ticket printing and issuing machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein said means for preventing reversing movement of said printing lever is a toggle ratchet device having a pawl arm with a pawl on each end thereof pivotally mounted on said machine, a quadrant plate on said printing lever having two sets of ratchet teeth thereon, one set facing in the opposite direction from the other set 'and being positioned adjacent the respective pawls, a spring anchorage lever pivotally mounted on the same axis as the pawl, spring means between the ends of the pawl arm and the anchorage plate for urging the pawls into engagement with the ratchet teeth, a pair of spaced pins on said quadrant plate, a projection on said anchorage lever projecting between said pins and engageable thereby, and further spring means coupled between said machine and said anchorage lever for swinging said anchorage lever to one side or the other of a line between the connecting points of said spring means on said machine and said anchorage lever, whereby said anchorage plate can be swung back and forth by the engagement of said pins with said projection during movement of said printing lever toward or away from the printing position and the further spring means will urge the anchorage lever to one or the other extreme positions thereof at which one or the other of said pawls will be engaged with the ratchet teeth on the quadrant plate.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,858,813 5/1932 Wheelbarger 101-66 2,090,612 8/ 1937 Marquart 101-66 3,255,692 6/ 1966 Hohmann 101-66 MAYNARD R. WILBUR, Primary Examiner. G. J. MAIER, Assistant Examiner. 

